Passive Resistance

Kaurna Country,
Semaphore Park,
SA
This home will be open for in-person tours on the 17th May 2026

About this home

The Passive Resistance House features a combination of lightweight timber construction and reverse brick veneer, Axon Scyon cladding and colorbond corrugated iron, with a few zincalume panels on the front.

We have polished concrete to all rooms except bedrooms, which are carpeted, and in-slab hydronic heating (2023: now cooling as well) with slab-edge insulation (low-insulation carpet underlay in bedrooms to permit heat transfer).

The windows are double-glazed with UPVC frames to all windows except corner windows, which are 12mm single-glazed with clear low-e. Kingspan Aircell insulation wraps the building and a roof blanket wraps the roof. Plywood is used as a ceiling lining, with expressed shadow joints extending out to soffit.

The house also has a 4kW solar PV system and solar hot water using 30 x Apricus evacuated tubes (evacuated tubes decommissioned following DHW heat pump installation (offgrid powered).

The 16,200L rainwater tanks are plumbed into every tap in the house. Every drop of rain that falls on the block stays on the block.

There is modwood and ironbark timber decking. We were unhappy with Kapur alternative due to its sourcing from old forests in Indonesia.

The internal courtyard receives northern sunlight into the back section of house. All except two lights in the house are LEDs.

A community garden, tree house and swings have been installed at the front of the house and a newly added beehive.

New for 2022 is the addition of a 3kW offgrid PV setup with overnight battery storage in the form of old 12v car batteries.

New for 2023 is the DHW Heat Pump and the separate infloor heating/cooling Heat Pump.

New for 2024 is 3x Freerange chickens added to back yard, plus the integration of offgrid PV into DHW Heat Pump (i.e. offgrid water heating), Washing Machine (i.e. offgrid clothes washing) & RWT pump.

New for 2025 is the addition of EV and wall charger.

This property has wheelchair access.

Q & A

What motivated you to build or retrofit sustainably?
Energy efficiency
Solar panels. They give you the freedom to use electricity without the worry of large power bills.
I wish I installed a grey water recovery system. It is one thing that's nearly impossible to do after the fact.
Inground rainwater tanks.
Back to 2026 Homes
Type: Standalone house/townhouse
Project: New build
Architect: Canvas Projects
Designer: Jeffrey Gabriel
Builder: Beechwood Homes
Size: 215m²
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1

Sustainability Features

Building Materials & Envelope

Draught-proofing/air sealing
High-performance insulation
Double or triple-glazed windows
Sustainable or low-impact materials
Recycled or reused materials

Heating, Cooling and Ventilation

Passive heating/cooling (north-facing glazing, cross ventilation, thermal mass, shading, etc.)
Ceiling fans
Heat pump (reverse-cycle) heating/cooling
Heat pump-powered hydronic heating

Energy and Appliances

Rooftop solar PV
Battery storage
Dedicated wall-mounted EV charging
Energy monitoring/smart home systems
Efficient lighting (LED, daylighting, solar skylights)
Heat pump hot water

Water & Waste Systems

Water-efficient fixtures
Rainwater tanks

Landscape & Biodiversity

Edible garden
Beehives
Wildlife-supporting habitat

Climate Resilience

Accessible & Flexible Design Features

Design for flexible use
Design for multigenerational living or dual occupancy
Universal design for accessibility
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